Showcase tray



June 20, 1950 A. A. HUDOCK 2,512,233

SHOWCASE TRAY Filed Nov. 29, 1946 Patented June 20, 1950 SHOWCASE TRAY Andrew Aloysius Hudock, Wilkes-Barre, Pa, as- I signor to National Peanut Corporation, Wilkes Barre, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 29, 1946, Serial No. 713,149

2 Claims; (01. 205-72) Thi invention relates to a display tray and it is primarily an object of the invention to provide an article of this kind especially designed and adapted for use in connection with the conventional type of showcase, display counter, or the like.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a tray which will readily conform to the interior contour of the cabinet counter or showcase and which is so constructed as to permit a convenient and cleanly vending of the nut meats or kindred articles to be vended.

A still further and a particular object of the invention is to provide a tray of this kind which is reversible and. wherein the capacity of the tray at one side is greater than at the opposite side so that the tray can be employed with equal advantage and facility with quick moving merchandise or with merchandise that is slow to move.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved display tray, whereby certain advantages are attained as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of a tray constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention and in applied position within a showcase;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken through the tray as herein embodied; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the tray T comprises a bed or bottom plate I of desired dimensions and preferably rectangular in form and which has its side or longitudinal marginal portions rigidly connected as by welding, soldering or otherwise as may be preferred to the parallel side walls 2. It i to be pointed out that the side walls 2 at one side of the bed or bottom plate 1 extend a greater distance than at the opposite side so that the tray is of a reversible type providing a receptacle at one side of a depth and capacity greater than the receptacle at the opposite side. These receptacles are indicated as A and B, respectively.

One end marginal portion of the bottom or bed plate I is rigidly secured as desired to the transversely disposed end wall 3 extending from the outer or longitudinal edges of the side walls v or bed plate I Thisendwall 3 is disposed on of the receptacle A to a point beyond the bottom as an inward incline of a predetermined angle and preferably of anangle to conform to the general inclination of the front transparent window or plate of the usual type of showcase, display counter, and the like, so that When the tray T is in applied position within the showcase with the receptacle A uppermost and in use, this end wall 3 can lie snugly against the front pane or glass and thereby materially increase the efflciency and efficacy of the desired display of the merchandise within the receptacle A.

The inner or lower marginal portion of the end wall 3 has rigidly connected thereto as may be desired the supplemental end wall 4 which is continued to the outer or free longitudinal marginal portion of a supplemental end wall 5 which closes the adjacent end of the receptacle B proper. The angle of this wall 4 is also such that when the receptacle B is uppermost the tray will be given a finished or streamlined appearance and to closely approach the front pane or glass of the showcase or the like.

The end walls 3 and 4 are preferably at what may be termed the front of the tray T.

The opposite or rear end margin of the bed or bottom plate I of the tray T is rigidly attached as by welding or otherwise to an end wall 6 disposed on a slight angle transversely thereacross so that the outer longitudinal marginal portion of the wall 6 at the end of the receptacle A will be disposed on a predetermined outward incline and the opposite longitudinal marginal portion of the end wall 6 closing the second receptacle B will be on an inward incline. The longitudinal marginal edge of this end wall 6 terminates below the outer longitudinal margins of the side walls 2 defining the receptacle A and this longitudinal margin of the end wall C is continued by an upwardly and inwardly inclined supplemental wall 1 which extends to the outer longitudinal margins of the adjacent side portions of the walls 2 and is then continued by an inwardly and downwardly inclined plate 8 bridging the space between the side walls 2 and rigidly secured to such side walls and also rigidly secured to the bottom or bed plate I at a relatively close point with respect to the end wall 6.

The inclination of this plate 8 is such to facilitate the entering of a scoop or the like within the deeper receptacle A in the handling of the merchandise therein, such as salted peanuts and other nut fruits or small candles and confections.

The side walls 2 also close the space between the end walls 6 and 1 and the plate 8 so that the device has its exposed surfaces free and of a character whereby they may be readily cleansed and maintained at all times in a sanitary condition.

It is to be particularly pointed out that the tray as a unit is one which comprises two opposed receptacles oi differing capacities and particularly at different depths and that thetray is one which can be readily reversible for the purposes of display. This is of advantage because in connection with the vending of a quickly moving commodity the receptacle A can be filled with a considerable quantity of the product. However,. in thoseseasons of the year when a certainproductmoves slowly, the receptacle can be replaced with the receptacle B uppermost and filled with the slow selling product, yet getting the same amount of display to the purchasing public as the product in the deeper or larger receptacle of other trays.

In the moving of merchandise this has been found to be of considerable advantage and. importance.

From the foregoing. description it is thought to be obvious that a display tray constructed in accordance with my inventi'oni particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

1. An invertible display tray comprising a bot tom plate, vertical side walls connected therewith and extending above and. below the same, end walls also extending above and below the bottom plate, said end Walls being disposed at an inclination to the plane of the bottom plate and having a. substantially parallel relation, the extension of'the side and end. Walls above and below the plane of the bottom. plate providing two receptacles, an inner end wall at one end of one receptacle and disposed across the said one receptacle perpendicular to said bottom plate, and a plate extending across between the side walls at one end of and within the other receptacle and extending at an inclination from said bottom plate toward and in convergent relation with the plane of the adjacent endwall, said inclined plate being at the end of the tray remote from the said inner end wall, the said inclined plate and the said adjacent end wall being inclined in the same direction but at difierent degrees.

2. An invertible tray of the character described in. claim L, wherein the said inclined end walls are joined one to the said inner end wall at the edge of the latter remote from the bottom plate and the other to the said inclined plate by intermediate supplemental walls which are inclined with respect to the plane of the bottom plate and oppositely to the inclination of the first menti'oned end walls.

ANDREW ALOYSIUS HUDOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 230,664 Schmieding Aug. 3, 1880 1,559,964 Jackson Nov. 3, 1925 1,756,963 Ware May 6, 1930 2,099,935 Kennedy Nov. 23, 1937 2,291,064 Waddell July 28, 1942 2,492,081 Williams Dec. 20, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 316,103 Italy Mar. 20, I934 

